Such vehicle occupant restraint systems are known and for several years have been incorporated into standard vehicles to an increasing extent. Sensors here detect extraordinary driving situation, such as, for example, an impact or an impending overturn, and cause the activation of the gas generator, which thereupon inflates the gas bag. The inflation time and pressure keeping duration of the gas bag must be measured so that the gas bag is completely filled on impact of the vehicle occupant. In the case of a frontal impact, a pressure keeping duration in the region of 100 ms is generally sufficient. In the case of an overturn, however, the pressure keeping duration should lie in the region of a few seconds, because an overturn can last several seconds up to the vehicle being at a standstill. To extend the pressure keeping duration of a gas bag into the region of seconds, coated fabric with a low gas-permeability is used for the production of the gas bag. The use of a gas bag woven in one piece likewise extends the pressure keeping duration. Whilst the production of a gas bag woven in one piece entails, among other things, high manufacturing costs, with the use of coated fabric over the lifespan of the vehicle the danger exists that the coated fabric sticks together in folded state.